


Knock, Knock

by cecylia



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Coach Dean, Dean is a Little Shit, Depressed Castiel, Editor Castiel, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Mechanic Dean, Neighbors, Slow Build, Writer Castiel, it's really cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 08:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5121269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cecylia/pseuds/cecylia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel is not living easy. He’s probably depressed, his parents can’t stop judging him, and his girlfriend just dumped him. One day, he notices a commotion coming from the apartment next to his and accidently, he begins a friendship with his new neighbor over knocks and conversation through the thin wall that separates them. He doesn’t know how long it passes before he realizes that he fell in love with a stranger that destiny doesn’t allow him to see.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knock, Knock

**Author's Note:**

> If there's any mistakes, I'm sorry. I did this while I was sleepy and at crazy hours of the night.

**Chapter One**

“H _ey, Cas, it’s me your girl—well, I don’t know anymore, at this point. It’s the fifth time I’ve called you today, and, as always, you’re either not picking up on purpose, or are ignoring me for no reason_.” Hannah’s voice was soft, and it cracked a little as she spoke, “ _I can’t do this anymore, Castiel, I honestly can’t. It’s already too much for me to ignore. I can’t pretend you want this relationship as much as I do. It’s too tiring_.” 

Castiel’s eyes opened slightly, the brightness of his cell phone stinging a little.

“ _It hurts me to say it, because through it all, I did love you. And deeply. But I refuse to be with someone who hardly tries. I can’t be doing something you won’t so…_ ” She paused and cleared her throat, “ _It’s over, Cas, I’m sorry. I wish you the best_.”

He sat up, his headache burning a lot more than before he went to sleep. For a moment, he couldn’t believe he had just been dumped over the phone, seriously the cherry on top of a shitty week, but she was right. Hannah loved him so much; it was always obvious despite the lack of attention he gave their relationship of two years. 

His train of thought was all over the place, making it harder for him to concentrate on the fact that he had just been dumped. He did care, he did. This affected him, yes it did, but he needed to get around it to feel it. 

Hannah left him, she broke up their relationship and Castiel couldn’t feel a thing about it. He was more concerned about getting rid of his headache and what he’d make himself for dinner that rainy Friday afternoon. 

Maybe she was right, maybe that’s why she left. Because she was so goddamn right about him. He didn’t care enough and it was that the thing that hurt Hannah. She didn’t deserve to be stuck with him for two years when his priority had always been himself instead of her. 

He walked towards his kitchen, dragging his feet against the wooden floor, scratching his head, and worsening his headache. He couldn’t remember the last time he made himself a home cooked meal. All he did was stuff himself with fast food and honey-flavored sweets. That day, he’d be reheating the three pieces of pineapple pizza from the other day. What a meal. 

For a few days he couldn’t think properly, his train of thought was all over the place. He liked to think that it was because of his parents’ visit a few days ago, when they spent their three hours with him judging his appearance (at this point, Castiel could be confused for either a vampire due to the paleness he’d developed, or a zombie due to the way he always groaned and he basically dragged himself from one place to another), his apartment (the only neat thing in his life at the moment), and his job (he was an editor).

The few friends he had were also dropping him, adding another distraction from truly caring about what happened with Hannah. Everyone, except for Charlie and Dorothy, became tired of his negativity and disinterest in what they had to say. It still surprised him how Charlie and her girlfriend put up with him.  

His fridge smelled disgusting of rotten milk but he didn’t want to clean his fridge from the spoilt food he probably had there for a few weeks now, all he cared about was his pizza and the last can of Dr. Pepper. 

That afternoon, everything in his life slowed down, including the one minute he set on the microwave. He should’ve cared more about things and people like Hannah. He shouldn’t have spent most of his life locked in his apartment while she made up another excuse as to why he couldn’t meet up with her friends yet again. What he did and who he turned into through time was unacceptable. 

He couldn’t recognize himself anymore. The person that stood in his kitchen waiting for their pizza wasn’t the same one that spent their college nights at concerts and frat parties, fucking every girl that approached him, and smoking all the pot thrown at him. The one that was standing there was everything he once called his older brother Michael. 

Castiel had become Michael to the second power. But at least Mike had a family; Cas just ended his relationship with the only person that saw him in different light regardless of everything he put her through. He was alone.

He might as well get used to it, because if he continued the way he was going, that will be how he will spend the rest of his life. 

Deep down, he knew he could change, he had it in him to do so, but it was never strong enough to overtake him. Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling seemed and was easier. His apartment was comfy enough to avoid him going outside and interact with his neighbors; he liked spending most of his time there. 

For now, all he could do was take his food and drink to his bedroom. He didn’t know what to do after that, but, for sure, he wanted to sit on his bed and use his computer. 

His apartment was a little too big for just one man. In the beginning, he’d bought it for Hannah and him, but as days went by and he began to arrange thing, he decided that it would become his fortress of solitude. He had even excluded Hannah out of that picture. 

But even then it wasn’t what bothered him because as soon as he sat down, he found something new to catch his attention. There was noise next door, music that wasn't there before. It probably just started.  

It wasn’t the Florence and the Machine or Mumford and Sons that Castiel loved and boomed from his speakers, this was wilder, older. Classic Rock. The only person Cas knew who listened to that was his brother Lucifer, and he hadn’t seen that guy since his high school graduation. 

The walls were thin so the music blasted into his apartment, he could feel the vibrations underneath his feet. 

 

_I gotta know tonight_

_If you’re alone tonight_

_Can’t stop this feeling_

_Can’t stop this fire._

 

The song was familiar; for sure he’d heard it in the past from his brother’s collection, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. There was another voice, deeper than the singers, following the tune a beat behind and not as loud. He couldn’t decipher more from it, except that the second singer was awful, but they did sound a lot livelier than Castiel felt. 

 

_Oh, I get hysterical, hysteria_

_Oh can you feel it, do you believe it?_

_It’s such a magical mysteria_

_When you get that feelin’, better start believin’._

 

Hearing the person sing along made him smile and he didn’t know why. Maybe it was because they didn’t know that there was someone listening to the terrible singing. 

It had been a while since he’d last heard movement next door. When he moved in, a couple moved out two days later, and the apartment remained vacant during his stance until now. He had a new neighbor.

The feeling was a little odd since he was used to the silence next door and now there was loud music coming from it. Castiel didn’t mind it but it did have an effect on him. A lot more than he expected. 

As he reached for his laptop, he heard a loud thud coming from the other side of the wall. The neighbor was probably moving furniture due to the force applied to the surface that made his bed move slightly as he ate. 

The music went on for hours, the genre remaining the same through it all, every tune wilder than the last, that it made Cas’ headache return. He didn’t like that type of noise, not when Lucifer lived with him, not now. He could even hear it from his kitchen and it made him think that maybe he should call the manager to fix the thin wall problem. 

He could hear the man’s voice as clear as if he were standing next to him, which was a little disturbing because he wasn’t supposed to feel that way. It was deep, a bit rough, but very good to listen, even when his singing was a little shitty, making Castiel giggle a few times, letting the new neighbor know that he wasn’t alone and someone was listening. 

While getting ready to bed, he threw a few things aside like his keys, laptop, and book, the book accidently hitting the wall a little too hard that made the neighbor stop singing _You Shook Me All Night Long._

It must’ve startled him because Castiel could hear the sound of something metallic hitting the ground before a single knock was returned. 

It was a weird gesture, he probably though Castiel was trying to talk to him and the mere thought of it triggered Castiel’s anxiety. He didn’t like talking to or meeting people, didn’t matter how friendly they seemed or how hot their voice sounded. 

“You there?” The wall made it seem like he had a cloth over his mouth but Cas could still understand him. He didn’t want to respond, he couldn’t. This was a weird way of communication and he didn’t know what to say. Well, he did, but didn’t want to. 

Castiel lay down, bringing his blanket up to cover him up to his chest. He could hear the shifting of the sheets next to him, everything. Those walls were too thin and he never cared about them enough until someone tried to communicate with him through them. 

And it consumed him. For forty-five minutes, he stared at his ceiling fan, trying to think on whether he wanted to start something this way with a dude he had never met in his life but sounded attractive or remain still. Not that he was interested in a guy, no, but how could he help himself around a voice like that one? 

He could do it like a normal person and walk up to the guy’s door the next morning to introduce himself. That was easier and less weird. Although, his anxiety was quick to kick at his insides, filling his head with questions like: _what if he thinks you’re weird? What if he’s a bully just waiting to make you his next victim? Worse, what if that voice didn’t match his looks and he’s a sheep with a lion’s roar? No, Castiel, save yourself from this, darling. You’re better off._  

Yes, he was better off. If he’d gone his days of living in that building without meeting anyone besides Garth, the guy in the first floor that gave him his mail, he could go another set of days without meeting his neighbor—

 _Knock, knock, knock_!

Oh.

Cas turned to his side, facing the wall, his hand reaching for it, trying to find the spot where it came from. He couldn’t believe this guy wanted to continue the gig.

“The name’s Dean.” He, _Dean_ , said, “Dean Winchester.” 

What a pretty name. Simple but interesting. It wasn’t as exotic as his, Castiel Emmanuel Novak, but it was up there, and it had a nice ring to it. 

His knuckles hit softly on the wall. _Knock, knock!_ He fell for it and followed the same trick as Dean. It wasn’t the best way to meet the new neighbor, but it was unique. The feeling forming in his stomach, warm and pleasing, let him know that this could grow on him. He’d never admit it, but he kinda liked it, even after everything he thought about it at first. 

“You don’t have to give me a name if you don’t want to.” Dean continued, his voice sounding closer and clearer than the first time. 

“Castiel.” He said, his voice hoarse, probably giving an impression that he was sick. “Castiel Novak.”

Dean chuckled, getting a small smile out of Castiel, “Nice to meet you, Castiel. Even if it’s this way.”


End file.
